"Guns before butter. Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat."- Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, Head of the German Luftwaffe

Numerically the most abundant fighter produced by either side during WWII, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 formed the backbone of the Jagdwaffe on both the eastern and western fronts, as well as in the Mediterranean and North Africa. Of the eight distinct sub-types within the huge Bf 109 family, the most populous was the G-model, of which over 30,000 were built between 1941-45. Despite its production run, only a handful of genuine German Bf 109s have survived into the 1990s, and with the serious damaging of the RAFs G-2 at Duxford in October 1997, only the German-based MBB G-6 and Hans Ditte's G-10 (both composites) are currently airworthy.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Messerschmitt Bf-109G5 fighter that was flown by Erich Hartmann, Kommandeur of I/Jagdgeschwader 53, then deployed to Hungary during 1945. Sold Out!

Historical Account: "Decorated Ace" - The Messerschmitt Bf109G was the most widely produced of all the variants of Germany's most famous fighter aircraft. Fighting over the Mediterranean, the Western Front and over the steppes and tundra of Russia, the 109G proved itself to be a versatile and effective fighter, staying in service until the end of the war.

This Bf109G6 was flown by Erich Hartmann, one of the most famous pilots of the war and the most successful of all time. He began his flying career with Messerschmitt Bf109s and used them throughout the war, during which time he amassed an incredible 352 aerial victories. All bar one of his kills were scored while flying with JG 52 and it was in this Bf 109G-6 that Hartmann scored his only non-JG 52 victory.

While in temporary command of JG 53 and based in Hungary during 1945 he downed a Yak-9, pouncing upon it as it escorted a number of A-20 bombers.Surviving the war. Hartmann was imprisoned in Soviet Russia and upon his release he became an officer in the West German Air Force, his famous Tulip nose art becoming synonymous with the unit he then commanded, JG 71 Richthofen. He died in 1993.

A must for all Corgi collectors..352 victories all done in a Messerschmitt BF-109 by Erich Hartmann! The greatest ace of all time! Some details missing on the paint job but for this scale is very nice.